There's a sea of voices and vendors' cries echoing through the streets. As Ryosuke and Yukino pass by a small gift stall, the owner calls out, "Hey, handsome young man over there! Why don't you buy a gift for your cute girlfriend?" The owner's years of experience told him that a young man and woman strolling through a festival together were almost always on a date.
"We are not in that kind of relationship." Both of them reply calmly and in unison, their faces completely flat.
The moment the words leave their mouths, Ryosuke and Yukino look at each other. A few seconds later, they speak again, at the exact same time.
"Please don't copy what I say."
The stall owner looks a little strange. They say they're not a couple, but where did that perfect synergy come from? he mutters to himself.
Hiratsuka Ryosuke doesn't know what the owner is thinking, but his words gave him an idea. He should buy some gifts to take back to Tokyo. He steps up to the stall. The small items on display are dazzling, but most are cheap trinkets. The value of a gift isn't in its price, after all. The most important thing is who gave it. It's like a certain tragic ending in The Hero vs. The Demon Girl. The hero and the demon queen travel together on an adventure. When the hero arrives at the demon lord's castle, he finds out the girl he traveled with is the demon queen and furiously draws his sword. He defeats the demon queen and opens the most splendid treasure chest hidden in the castle. Inside, he finds her most treasured possession: the cheap hair ribbon he had given her when he was at his poorest.
With one arm holding a cat, Ryosuke picks out a few small accessories with the other. He senses a gaze on his back, turns, and sees that Yukino's eyes are filled with longing and envy.
"You want something? Then buy it yourself," Hiratsuka Ryosuke says, turning back to face Yukino calmly. He isn't one to give out gifts easily; the hat he gave Kato Megumi was meant as an apology.
"I don't have any money," Yukinoshita Yukino replies seriously. Ryosuke is stunned. He never expected the second young lady of the Yukinoshita family to say such a thing. He frowns slightly and presses on, "You mean you didn't bring any money, right?"
"No, I don't have an allowance. Everything is arranged for me by my family, whether it's my clothes, my food, or my living expenses. My entire future life is arranged..." Yukinoshita Yukino's face is completely flat, as if she's long grown used to this way of life. The Yukino in front of him is a completely different person from the one who was just speaking to the cats. She takes a step forward and asks in a serious and earnest tone, "Hiratsuka-kun, you and I were born into similar families. So why can you make choices according to your own will?"
Yukino has been observing Ryosuke and piecing together information about him in her mind. Their family backgrounds are similar; they both have strict elders and an older sister. In martial arts, he practices kendo, and she practices aikido. Academically, he's first in his grade, and she's first in hers. As for their appearance, there's no need to mention it—they both have a clear self-awareness of their looks. Even their auras are so similar that Yukino felt she was looking in a mirror when she first saw him. The young Yukino doesn't understand why, when they are similar in so many ways, their lives have taken completely different paths. He can get a pet whenever he wants and has complete control over his money. She's even heard that he and his sister ran away from home and lived in Tokyo for several years. Perhaps... he can choose his own life. Yukino has too many questions in her heart.
Hiratsuka Ryosuke's frown slowly disappears when he hears Yukino's question. Now he understands what the longing and envy in her eyes are: the right to choose freely. Just to buy a small accessory... she doesn't even have that right? What did the Yukinoshita family do to this second daughter of theirs? He hadn't thought Yukinoshita Yukino was strange before, but hearing her ask this question makes him realize that both she and her sister are a bit twisted.
Instead of answering her directly, Ryosuke takes a 1,000 yen bill from the wallet on his belt. He sighs softly and asks, "You want to buy something from this stall, but you don't have any money, right?"
Yukino puts her hand on her fair chin, her brows furrowed, and thinks for a moment. "I haven't provided you with any service or created any value, so you have no responsibility or obligation to give me money." Her tone is utterly serious, as if she's discussing an economic topic at an academic conference.
"Please answer my question seriously, Yukinoshita-san," Ryosuke says in a equally serious tone. Yukino and Ryosuke are similar in a way; they might speak rashly or incorrectly, but they never lie. Looking at his stern face and serious eyes, she nods.
Ryosuke notices her action and realizes the biggest difference between her and Haruno. Yukinoshita Yukino is much more authentic; she disdains lying.
"That's right, Yukinoshita-san. No one is perfect. You will always encounter difficulties in life. But when I encounter a problem, I never run away. Instead, I make appropriate changes to overcome the difficulty and ultimately solve the problem," Ryosuke says, holding the bill between his index and middle fingers.
"Hiratsuka-kun is a very admirable person," Yukinoshita Yukino says sincerely. She adds a silent thought to herself. I'm like that too. But every time, I'm defeated by my even more excellent sister, defeated so completely that there's nothing left.
But... making appropriate changes to overcome a difficulty? That's a good suggestion.
Making her decision, Yukinoshita Yukino calmly says, "Then, Hiratsuka-kun, please lend me 1,000 yen." She takes the sachet from her waist and hands it to Ryosuke. "I sewed this sachet myself last year. Please hold on to it as collateral for this loan. I will redeem it later."
Though 1,000 yen is a small amount, Ryosuke understands Yukinoshita Yukino's inherent pride. She wouldn't accept help from others for no reason. So Ryosuke takes the cat-embroidered sachet and gives Yukino the 1,000 yen.
Yukinoshita Yukino clenches the bill tightly and takes a deep breath. She is a woman of action and quickly picks up two red hair ties from the stall. She has spent money before, but this time, she's not acting under her mother's or sister's direction. For the first time, she's making a choice based on her own will. She ties her long, straight black hair with the two red hair ties, feeling a subtle sense of breaking a taboo. Is this what it feels like to make a change according to my own heart? She closes her eyes and remembers her elementary school days. Her indoor shoes were hidden about sixty times, mostly by other girls, forcing her to carry her shoes and recorder home every day.
What Hiratsuka-kun said is right. No one is born perfect.Weak people have ugly hearts and easily ostracize others out of jealousy. Isn't it strange that the more excellent a person is, the more painfully they live?
She suddenly opens her eyes, and they are filled with an unprecedented sense of determination. Yes, change! I will change, change everyone, and change this world. The weak ostracize the excellent because they don't know how to improve themselves and struggle to progress. As long as I can help the weak improve themselves, there will be no more ostracism. Excellent people must help those who are not as excellent become excellent until ostracism completely disappears. Only then will the world become a better place.